Russian Blockbuster 'Night Watch' to Hit UK Screens

Russia's most succesful film will finally be released over here this summer, closely followed by a pair of sequels.

Feb 23 2005

'Night Watch' is the first instalment in a trilogy of movies based on the bestselling sci-fi novels of Sergei Lukyanenko, and word has reached Time Out that that the film will finally reach UK cinemas early this summer.

20th Century Fox, who bought the distribution rights to the epic at around the same time it became the highest grossing film in Russian history, plan to give 'Night Watch' an enormous release, with a whopping 200 prints of the film due to hit screens in June.

Fox have also bought the worldwide rights the film's currently in production sequel 'Day Watch', and plans are also afoot to co-develop, finance and release a final, English-language part of trilogy, to be called 'Dusk Watch'.

The film's American teaser site has also just launched, with this intriguing synopsis:

'Set in contemporary Moscow, 'Night Watch' (Nochnoi Dozor) revolves around the conflict and balance maintained between the forces of light and darkness – the result of a medieval truce between the opposing sides. As night falls, the dark forces battle super-human 'Others' of the 'Night Watch', whose mission is to patrol and protect. But there is constant fear that an ancient prophecy will come true: that a powerful 'Other' will rise up, be tempted by one of the sides, and tip the balance plunging the world into a renewed war between the dark and light, the results of which would be catastrophic.'

Food for thought, I’m sure you’ll agree, especially if you are a contemporary Russian who just happens to live next door to one of those pesky super-human 'Others'.

To find out more about the movie, check out the site at www2.foxsearchlight.com/nwnd, and watch this space for further Time Out updates on what is already shaping up to be the year’s biggest foreign release.

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